NSW updates data centre reform policy

The New South Wales Government has updated its data centre reform strategy to give agencies with specialist needs more time to migrate to the new centralised government data centres.

The strategy stipulates that all NSW government agencies must relocate their data centre and computer room infrastructure to one of two central government data centres by 30 August 2017.

But under new exemptions, agencies with specialist infrastructure items that cannot be migrated by the deadline can request up to a two-year extension before they will need to decommission their sites.

The new guide also makes clear that the policy will not prevent agencies from acquiring cloud services from other cloud providers, so long as it is consistent with the government’s cloud policy and the arrangement is cleared by the state’s Department of Finance, Services and Innovation.

Exemptions will be given priority when they are for business-critical or on-premise assets that cannot be supported in the government data centres, the guide states.

According to the policy, agencies are expected to commence migration to the new government data centres when one of five triggers are met.

These triggers are the lease on an existing building or data centre expiring, a major infrastructure or software refresh being due, the current facility being deemed too unreliable or inefficient for future needs, or there being an emerging defined need for cross-agency connectivity.

Government agencies not applying for an exemption will need to sign an MoU with the department pledging to migrate to the new cloud data centres at least six months prior to commencing the move and before the 30 August deadline.

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